Fearfully and Wonderfully

Psalm 139

Introduction.

Last week was a successful week of Vacation Bible School. We had a church full of children this week. We had a panda theme—Panda Mania. The children learned a lot about pandas—habitat, diet, and Mr. James taught us a very creative way to help baby pandas to get back into the tree with the momma panda if the baby falls out of the tree. At the same time, the children learned a lot about God’s love for us. God is wild about us. He loves us so much that he sent his Only Son, Jesus to be our Savior.

The children aren’t the only ones who learned something this week. I learned several very important lessons.

First, Panda Mania was not the original title for our VBS materials. The publisher originally called it Panda Monium. Almost as soon as the title was announced, people started complaining. Panda Monium is a pun, based on the word pandemonium. It turns out this word originated from the ancient book Paradise Lost by John Milton. Pan = “all.” Demonium = Latin “daemonium,” or demons. It was originally a reference to Hell, the place where all demons live. Evidently, there are people who do not think Hell is a good theme for VBS…Or at least they don’t think it is a very good idea to compare the VBS experience to an experience of Hell.

Second, I learned how to get church members to invite their friends to church. Mr. James promised the children that if they would bring a friend to VBS, he would give them a lollipop. So, I am announcing a new outreach strategy today…Lollipops for everyone who brings a friend next Sunday. In fact, if you bring two friends, I will give you two lollipops!

Third, I learned how to increase the offerings. We had the largest VBS missions offering this week…Over $280. It seems that the secret to raising money is to divide the church into boys versus girls. Starting next Sunday, we are going to take up two offerings—a boys offering and a girls offering. The group raise the most money gets to hit Mr. James in the face with a pie. (By the way, the girls won the missions offering contest.)

Read Psalm 139.

1 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.

2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.

3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.

4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.

5 You hem me in-- behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?

8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,

10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,"

12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!

18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.

19 If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!

20 They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name.

21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD, and abhor those who rise up against you?

22 I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

(NIV)

The subtitles in our Bibles tell us that Psalm 139 is a Psalm of David. Of course, that doesn’t tell us much about it. The phrase “Psalm of David” could mean this is a Psalm written BY David. It could also mean this is a Psalm written FOR or ABOUT David. If it was written BY David, we don’t really know where to place it in the biblical / historical account of David’s life. But it sure does sound a lot like David as we know him.

This is an intensely personal confession of faith in God. The Psalmist does not write so much ABOUT God as he writes to God. God is not a thing or an “it.” God is a person or a “you” who hears our prayers and answers our prayers. In fact, we can take Psalm 139 and incorporate it into our daily prayers. It fits our Twenty-First Century experience of God as much as it fits David’s experience thousands of years ago. Praying the words of Psalm 139 will help us to understand the personal nature of God.

There are three great themes in this Psalm. It describes God’s Knowledge…God’s Presence…and God’s Power. Classical theology uses the word “omni” to define God’s Knowledge, Presence and Power. We affirm that God is Omniscient—or that God is All Knowing. We affirm that God is Omnipresent—or that God is Present in all places at all times: God’s Presence is unlimited. We affirm that God is Omnipotent—or that God is All Powerful: nothing impossible or too difficult for God.

These “omni” characteristics of God are true. However, they develop from philosophical theology. Psalm 139 is not a philosophical Psalm. It is an incredibly personal Psalm. It does not describe God in the abstract. It describes God in personal and human experience.

This is why we ought to pray Psalm 139. Praying the Psalm will help us to understand it in a proper light. Prayer retains the personal and intimate nature of the Psalm. God is Omniscient, but more importantly…God knows me personally. God is Omnipresent, but more importantly…God is Present in my life. God is Omnipotent, but more importantly…God is All Powerful in my life…I am perfectly and completely submitted to God’s rule over me.

When I have read Psalm 139 in the past, I have focused on one verse and one theme. Verse 14 reads, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made…” Yet, there is more to this Psalm than one verse and one theme…

Fearfully and Wonderfully Known by God.

The Psalm begins by describing how fearful and wonderful it is to be know by God. God knows me intimately and personally. God knows me better than any other person. God knows me better than I even know myself. God knows my words before I speak them. He knows my thoughts before I think them.

God searches me and knows me…I know what it feels like to be searched. It is not a pleasant experience. It is a fearful experience.

I remember the first time I flew on an airplane after September 11, 2001. The TSA agents searched me like no one had ever searched me before. Of course, the airport searches have gotten worse. But my worst experience was the first week of May 2003. Shauna and I were flying from Mississippi to Texas for her grandmother’s funeral. The reason I remember it was the first week of May is because of the way I was treated by the “lady” at the check-in counter. I handed her my driver’s license. She looked at it; handed it back to me; and said rudely, “Do you have a valid ID?” I said, “What is a valid ID?” She said, “One that isn’t expired.” It had expired on April 30…less than one week before our flight.

She took a bright orange highlighter; highlighted all my personal information; and wrote the letters VIP on my boarding pass. Then, she hollered, “We’ve got a VIP over here!” And let me tell you…Flying as a VIP is not as fun as it sounds. Everywhere I went, they pulled me out of the line of non-VIP’s and searched me. Shauna tried to wait on me, but the TSA agent said, “Honey, you might as well go on. He’s gonna be here for a while.” I would rather not tell you the rest of the story.

I had nothing to hide on that trip. I wasn’t doing anything wrong. But, I was still afraid that they might find something. Of course, it made matters worse that every person who searched me seemed a little disappointed when they couldn’t find anything.

It is a fearful thing to be searched by God. The TSA might not find anything. But God knows all the things we hide from others. He sees our sins…He sees our greed…He sees our lust…He sees our anger…

This ought to remind us of the story of when David was chosen to be King of Israel. Samuel looked at the outward appearances of David’s brothers and was impressed with what he saw. But God rejected David’s brothers. Human beings look at the outward appearances, but God looks at the heart. God sees us for who we really are.

We hide the dark parts of our lives from others. We believe if other people know what we are truly like on the inside, they won’t like us…They won’t accept us. Remarkably, God searches us…God knows us…And God accepts us.

To say God accepts us does not mean that God turns his back on our sins to let us live any way we want to live. God has provided the only way to deal with our sins. He sent his Only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross as the remedy for sin. When God knows about our sins, he can forgive our sins…

Knowledge is the basis of relationship. Perhaps it is important to confess that God knows all things. I think it is more important to say that God knows ME…God knows YOU. If God did not know us, we could not have a relationship with God.

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made by God.

God knows us personally and intimately, because God has created us. We are fearfully and wonderfully made by God.

One way to interpret the word “fear” in the Old Testament is something like “reverent” or “awe.” It’s possible to interpret this as, “I praise you because I am awesomely and wonderfully made…”

The human body is an amazing thing. Our bodies have the capacity to eat food and magically convert it to energy. Our bodies warn us about danger through a complex system of nerves and the sensation of pain. When we injure our bodies, they heal themselves. Our bodies are miraculous…something that could only be created by God himself.

Notice the way Psalm 139 describes creation. It says that God “knit” our bodies. I think this tells us a couple of important things about God’s role in creation.

First, the work of a knitter is artistic work. It involves careful attention to details and its goal is to create something beautiful…Not something ordinary.

Second, knitting is work that is done with the hands. This ought to remind us of the story of Creation in Genesis 1 and 2. For the first five days of Creation, God spoke, and things came into being. God said, “Let there be light.” And there was light. God said, “Let there be plants.” And there were plants. God said, “Let there be animals.” And there were animals. But that is not what God did on the sixth day. On the sixth day, God did not speak. He reached down to earth and scooped a handful of dirt. God carefully molded and shaped that dirt until it started looking like a person. Then, God breathed into his creation and placed his own breath—his own life—inside the first human. For five days of Creation, God spoke things into being. On the sixth day, God got his hands dirty.

Your life is a miraculous thing. But it is not a miracle of biology. It is a miracle of theology. Genesis 1 and 2 remind us that God was personally involved in creating the first man and woman. Psalm 139 reminds us that God didn’t stop being personally involved in creation after the first week. Every human life that has ever existed was personally crafted by the hands of God.

God is All Powerful and has created all life. But more importantly, God has personally created ME. God has personally created YOU. God knows you, because God created you. God is the proper basis of your life. Don’t give your life away to biology. Give your life away to God. He is the one who crafted you into the person you are.

Fearfully and Wonderfully Loved by God.

God knows us personally and intimately, because God has created us. We are fearfully and wonderfully know by God, because we are fearfully and wonderfully made by God. And remarkably, God loves us anyway. We are fearfully and wonderfully loved by God.

I think the Psalmist expresses God love for us in at least two different ways. God loves us so much that he will not leave us alone. God loves us so much that he has a plan for our lives that he leads us toward.

God has a plan for our lives that is better than anything we could ever plan for ourselves. He had this plan in mind while he was knitting us together in our mother’s womb. He made each of us unique with the specific gifts and abilities that we needed to fulfill his perfect plan. But, God knows us so well that he knows we would not be able to fulfill his plans without his help. Therefore, God is always present with us…to lead us away from the bad decisions and lead us toward the right decisions.

The Presence of God is both fearful and wonderful. There is no escaping from God. We can climb into the heavens. God is there. We can dig under the earth. God is there. We can fly off to the middle of the ocean. God is there. We can live into the future. God is already in the future.

The Psalmist uses a terrifying image to describe the Presence of God. God hems us in. He is above us, below us, in front of us, behind us, and all around us. While it is tempting to say this is like a big bear hug from God, that is not the image. The image is of an enemy army laying siege on a city. The city has been hemmed in by their enemies. The enemy is above, below, in front, behind and all around the city. There is no escape.

In the Civil War, Union General Ulysses S. Grant laid siege on the Confederate Fort Donelson in Tennessee. There was no escape. Some Confederate soldiers approached the Union Army and begged for a peaceful resolution. General Grant is quoted as saying,

“No terms, but unconditional and immediate surrender, can be accepted. I propose to move immediately on your works.”

God loves you so much that he refuses to leave you alone. God is pursuing you! In fact, God loves you so much that he sent his Only Son, Jesus. God provided the way for your sins to be forgiven. God provided the way for you to have a personal and intimate relationship with God himself.

Wherever you go, God is there. There is no escape. He demands your unconditional and immediate surrender. This is the only way for the inescapable Presence of God to change from fearful to wonderful. We must surrender to the Power of God. God is All powerful…But that means almost nothing unless he has Power over our lives. It must be personal. We must personally experience the Power of God.

Conclusion.

There are a lot of people in this church who know me. In fact, there are a lot of people in this town who know me. It’s a good feeling to go into a restaurant and be recognized and greeted by other people. I like to eat at Morales of First Street, because the waiter knows me. When I walk in, he fixes my drink and brings it to my table without even asking me what I want to drink. And he gets it right without asking!

But there are a lot of important people in the world who do not know me. The Queen of England doesn’t know me. The President of the United States doesn’t know me. The Governor of Texas doesn’t know me.

There is one important Person who does know me. The God who created me knows me. He knows you as well. AND…He loves you enough to pursue a relationship with you.

I suppose it is possible for you to push God out of your mind and forget about him. But it is impossible for God to forget about you. You are his unique creation. He loves you and wants you to surrender your life to his plan and his control.

Let the Children Come.

Luke 18: 9 – 17.

Introduction.

Today is a special Sunday for several reasons. First, today is Fathers’ Day. Second, today is the day before the beginning of Vacation Bible School. You might be surprised to learn that I find it difficult to preach on special Sundays.

On most Fathers’ Days, I find that I am preaching to at least two different congregations. I am preaching to the fathers in our church, and I am preaching to the people who are not fathers. On most Sundays before VBS, I have to preach to at least two different congregations. I preach to the people who will be involved in VBS in one way or another, and I preach to the people who are not involved in VBS.

Since today is both Fathers’ Day and the Sunday before VBS, I have to figure out a way to preach one sermon to many different congregations…And I have to make sure that sermon isn’t too long.

In honor of our fathers today, let read one of my favorite descriptions of fatherhood. You will recognize it as one of my favorites, because I have read it to you before. These are the words of one of America’s favorite fathers, Bill Cosby, from his 1987 number one bestselling book Fatherhood:

Now that my father is a grandfather, he just can’t wait to give money to my kids. But when I was a kid and I asked him for fifty cents, he would tell me the story of his life. How he got up at 5 a.m. when he was seven years old and walked twenty three miles to milk ninety cows. And the farmer he worked for had no buckets, so he had to squirt the milk into his little hand and then walk eight miles to the nearest milk can. All this for 5 cents a month…And I never got my fifty cents. But now he tells my children every time he comes into the house, “Well, let’s see how much money Granddad has for his wonderful kids.” And the minute they take the money out of his hands, I call them over to me and snatch it away from them. Because that is MY money.

Cosby also describes the difference between Mothers’ Day and Fathers’ Day:

Mothers’ Day is a bigger deal than Fathers’ Day, because mothers are more organized. Mothers say to their children, “Now, here is a list of what I want. Go get the money from your father.” For Fathers’ Day, I give each of my 5 kids $20 (a total of $100) so they can go buy me a present. They go to the store and buy 2 packages of underwear for $5 a package. They open the packages of underwear and each kid wraps up one pair, giving any extra to the Salvation Army. Therefore, on Fathers’ Day, I am walking around with five new pairs of underwear and my kids are walking around with $90 worth of my change in their pockets.

Have you ever thought about the connection between the church and the family? In the beginning, God created everything that is. The heavens and the earth and the things under the earth. In the process, God also created two “institutions.” God created the family, and God created the church. I believe God has given the same responsibilities to both institutions.

In the past several months, you have heard me talk a lot about the five purposes (or five functions) of the church: Worship, Evangelism, Discipleship, Missions and Fellowship. These are our responsibilities as a church. They are also the responsibilities of Christian fathers and mothers.

If you read the weekly church newsletter, I think it is obvious that Vacation Bible School holds a very special place in my heart. I became a Christian through the ministry of VBS when I was nine years old. I encourage my own children to participate in VBS. And I try to be as involved as possible as a pastor. (I have done everything from driving the church van to pick up children in previous churches to sharing the plan of salvation to the elementary aged children.) This is because I believe that when we open our doors to the children of our church and community, I believe we are being faithful to the teaching and the example of Jesus!

In our Scripture for today, Jesus told his disciples…Let the children come to me…

Read Luke 18: 9 – 17

9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable:

10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

11 The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men-- robbers, evildoers, adulterers-- or even like this tax collector.

12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'

13 "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

14 "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

15 People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them.

16 But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

17 I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

(NIV)

This Scripture contains two parables. One parable was a spoken parable that Jesus told about the Pharisee and the Tax Collector who arrived at church one day at the same time. The second parable is a visual parable that Jesus demonstrated in front of their eyes by holding the children in his lap, close to his heart.

I find it very interesting that Luke introduced these parables with a description of the audience. Of course, he did not call anyone by name, but he did describe the ones Jesus wanted to understand the parable. Luke 18: 9, "To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: (NIV) ."

Who was Jesus speaking to? Obviously he was speaking to the Pharisees…They trusted in themselves, thinking that their own good works could save them…The Pharisees also thought of themselves as being Righteous, that no one could surpass them in how they served God…The Pharisees also looked down on other people with contempt, thinking that no one could measure up to their own high personal standards…

But, who else was Jesus speaking to? Watch what happened to the disciples.

Jesus described the difference between exalting oneself and humbling oneself. He went on to say that it is better to be humble, and let God exalt you at the right time, than it is to try to act like you are better than other people. And the disciples did NOT understand.

I know they did not understand because of what they did next. They exalted themselves over the little children.

I can just imagine the thoughts running through their heads… “You know, Jesus has just predicted that he will be crucified once we get to Jerusalem. This could be my last few days with Jesus. That means no more stories…no more miracles…no more relationship… I sure don’t want these children taking up my few remaining days with Jesus.”

So, the disciples tried to prevent the children from taking up too much of Jesus’ time…They tried to do the right thing, “Now you children need to run along. Jesus is very busy. He doesn’t need the distraction. He doesn’t need to be disturbed.”

Then Jesus surprised everyone. He taught the disciples that these children were just as important as the disciples. Can you imagine that? A child who is not even mentioned by name in the Bible is just as important to Jesus as Peter and James and John.

Matthew told the story just a little differently than Luke. In Matthew 18, we read about Jesus and the disciples walking along the road one day, when suddenly the disciples get into a kind of argument over which one of them is the greatest disciple. And which one would be considered the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. In both Matthew and Luke, Jesus used the child to make the very same point…Do not exalt yourself over others or look down on other people. Humility is an important characteristic of every person who wants to follow Christ.

You Must Become Like a Child (Spoken about Us).

In the first church I served as pastor, I had a woman speak to me about her grown children. They were both in their 30’s and she was very concerned about their salvation. She was concerned that it was too late for her children to become Christians, because neither had made a profession of faith. She cited this verse from the King James Version, “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the Kingdom of God AS a child will never enter it.”

Jesus is not telling us that you have to make a profession of faith before you turn 18, or else it will be too late. Jesus is saying that everyone who becomes a Christian must become like a little child first. Innocent…Humble…Trusting…Dependent… Helpless… You must be willing to humble yourself…And you must let go of those natural tendencies to exalt yourself and to look down on others if you want to be in the Kingdom of God…

Living a life totally dependant on someone else…Dependent on Jesus… Obedient…Just as a child has the natural instinct to obey parents, so you should naturally obey your Heavenly Father…

We can take this a step farther. In our world today, children are the church members who are most likely to “bring a friend” to church. If church is a normal and natural part of their lives, children want their friends to be involved in church. We would all be better off if we were a little more childlike—innocently wanting the important people in our lives to be involved in our church.

Let the Children Come (Spoken about Children).

Children are important to Jesus…Since they are important to him, they should be important to us…Therefore, we need to give them as many opportunities as possible to respond to the Gospel.

Does this mean to force the Gospel on them before they are ready? Or to make them feel guilty?…Of course not…We need to present the Gospel in age appropriate ways…Telling stories…Using visual images…And living as Good Witnesses…We need to be patient and wait for a child to develop intellectually and psychologically to the point where he or she can make that decision on their own…

Many people wonder about what Baptists have traditionally called “the age of accountability”…This is a form of the question, “When is a child ready to make his or her own decision for Christ?”…I heard a child development expert say this one time, and I believe this is the truth…It all depends on the child’s ability to understand what SIN is…

You have heard the statistic published by the George Barna Group…64% of all Christians today became Christians before the age of 18…13% became Christians between the ages of 18 – 21…Only 24% of all Christians accepted Christ as adults.[1]

Still another way to state that is to look at our church…How much money do we invest annually to minister and evangelize people under the age of 18? Is it 76%? Or have we reversed the equation? Are we trying to spend the majority of our financial resources on an age group that is less responsive to the Gospel? What about our church facilities? What about our church staff?

Still another way to state that is to look at our church…How much money do we invest annually to minister and evangelize people under the age of 18? Is it 85%? Or have we reversed the equation? Are we trying to spend the majority of our financial resources on an age group that is less responsive to the Gospel?

What percentage of our church facilities is dedicated to children and youth under the age of 18?

What would this church look like in 10 years if our buildings were filled with children and their parents today? What would this church look like in 10 years if we do not reach the children?

Do Not Hinder the Children (Spoken about Children).

Beginning in the Second Century, the Catholic Church started using this verse as a way to justify the practice of infant baptism—as if Jesus had said, “Do not hinder the children from being baptized.” But I do not think this is about baptism.

I believe Jesus is teaching us, “Do not hinder the children from spending time in the presence of Jesus.” Stop doing things that stand in the way. It is hard enough for a person to “come to Jesus.” We do them much more harm than we realize when we place obstacles in their paths.

One obvious obstacle is when parents choose not to attend church…It is bad enough that adults are not here to read and study the Bible and to worship God, but when parents do not come they are actually placing an obstacle in the path of their own children…

By not attending church, parents actually prevent their children from hearing the Gospel presented…

By not attending church, parents also demonstrate (or model) the kind of behavior children will imitate as they grow older…Do you want your children to be strong Christians, actively involved in church as adults? Then you MUST demonstrate those same characteristics for them while they are young.

Give the children every opportunity to learn about Jesus and to experience Jesus and to receive the Gospel message about Jesus. Do not keep children away from Jesus. Do not put obstacles in between children and Jesus.

Modern day obstacles:

Parents who do not share their faith with their children.

Parents who do not bring their children to church.

Parents who drop their children off at church, teaching them that they will one day outgrow the need for discipleship and spiritual growth.

Parents who take their children to church but gripe about the sermon, the music, the church leadership, the hypocrites at church…teaching their children that church is a miserable place.

Television, Internet, schools and friends who do a better job at defining the worldview and priorities for our children. Our children will never learn about Jesus from television, Internet, school or friends.

Conclusion.

In the 21^st Century, children are faced with many different kinds of obstacles that keep them from coming to know Jesus. As a church, it is our responsibility to remove those obstacles and follow the words of Jesus…Do not hinder the children…

Again, what will happen to this church if we do not reach the children?

It is sad but true…In the world we live in parents do not bring their children to church, but children will bring their parents. If we reach the children, we can reach their parents!

Let the children come…

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[1] http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/5-barna-update/196-evangelism-is-most-effective-among-kids

The Birthday of the Church

Acts 2: 1 – 21.

Introduction.

Today is a day Baptists like us don’t spend a lot of time talking about. It is the Day of Pentecost. For some reason, we are afraid of Pentecost. It is the day when Jesus fulfilled his promise to his disciples to send the Holy Spirit to them. It is the day when God fulfilled his Old Testament promise to “pour out his spirit on all flesh,” both men and women, both Jews and Gentiles, everyone who professes Jesus as their Lord.

Pentecost marks the first time when the Holy Spirit was given to all of God’s people. And, as a result, the first church was born. The church did not create the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit created the church. Without the Holy Spirit, there would be no church.

There is a connection between God’s gift of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the church.

Read Acts 2: 1 – 21.

1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.

2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.

3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.

4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.

6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.

7 Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans?

8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language?

9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,

10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome

11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs-- we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!"

12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?"

13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine."

14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.

15 These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning!

16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

17 "'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.

18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.

19 I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke.

20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.

21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'

(NIV)

This is the story of the first Christian Pentecost. The reason I say “Christian Pentecost” is because Pentecost was already a Jewish holiday. The word “Pentecost” means “fiftieth day,” and this was a feast celebrated fifty days after the Passover.

There were two reasons for setting aside the fiftieth day after Passover for a feast and festival. First, this fiftieth day marked the end of the Spring harvest. All the crops had been gathered, and this was a good time to take a break. But, it was also the time when all Jewish families would divide out one tenth of their harvest and bring it to the Temple in Jerusalem as a “first-fruit” offering to God. Secondly, later Jewish tradition associated Pentecost as the day when Moses received the Ten Commandments from God on Mount Sinai. However, this religious understanding of Pentecost does not show up in any written form until three hundred years after the death and resurrection of Jesus. So, I don’t think we need to make any comparisons between Moses receiving the Law and the disciples receiving the Holy Spirit.

We only focus on Pentecost as a Christian event, because we are more familiar with the Jewish Pentecost by a different name. It is also called the Festival of Weeks. This name derives from the Jewish method of calculating the date for Pentecost. Pentecost occurs seven weeks—or seven Sabbaths—after the Passover.

The most significant part of Pentecost as a Jewish festival, is the way it explains why so many people were present to witness this miracle. They were Jewish people, living in faraway places, who had come to Jerusalem on religious pilgrimages to make offerings in the Temple. This was a highly strategic moment for the Holy Spirit to come and manifest God’s power.

The Right Place at the Right Time.

I believe the story of Pentecost makes a very bold statement about Jesus’ intentions for the disciples to become the new people of God. In the Old Testament book of Genesis, we read about a man named Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel. Jacob / Israel had 12 sons. These 12 sons became the ancestors for the 12 tribes of Israel. When Jesus came preaching about the coming Kingdom of God, it was important for him to name 12 disciples. Why did Jesus select 12 disciples? Because the number 12 is symbolic for God’s chosen people! One of the 12 disciples—Judas Iscariot—hanged himself. This left only 11 disciples. So, in Acts 1, the 11 disciples recognized the significance of the number 12, and appointed Matthias as the 12^th disciple to take the place of Judas.

Of course, there were more than just 12 followers of Jesus at this time. Luke tells us in Acts 1: 15 that the total number of Christian men and women was 120! Again, I find this significant that this number is a multiple of 12. 120 believers = 12 disciples multiplied by 10. The number 12 symbolizes the People of God. The number 10 is a number that symbolizes “completion.” Therefore, to say that there were 120 believers gathered is the same thing as saying the “complete People of God” were gathered.

You might think I am a little off the subject at this point, talking about the disciples representing the People of God. However, this is significant! Who do you think received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost? It was not the 12 disciples! It was the “complete People of God.” Everyone who had faith in Jesus received the Holy Spirit. Everyone who had gathered together with the disciples that day received the Holy Spirit. When we talk about the Holy Spirit, we need to keep in mind that this is NOT a gift God gives to only certain people. The Holy Spirit is NOT the result of a higher level of faith or a “second blessing.” NO! The Holy Spirit is God’s gift to all men and women who place their faith in Jesus.

In Acts 2: 1, we find the complete People of God “together in one place.” This tells us two things about the church. First, they were united spiritually. Second, they were in one place, or location.

I might use this as an opportunity to tell you how important it is for all of God’s People to be united spiritually. But I actually prefer to tell you this is a good Scripture to show you how important it is for you to come to church. Everyone was there. The complete People of God gathered in one place, and God showed up. God showed up in a brand new way. But, how did we get to this point?

Acts 1, gives us a couple of important details about what led up to the day of Pentecost. Jesus gathered his 11 remaining disciples on the Mount of Olives. He reminded them of everything he had previously taught them about the Kingdom of God. Then, Jesus gave them instructions about what to do next. Get ready for this, because I know you will not like what Jesus had to say. He said, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but WAIT for the gift my Father promised…”

God’s plan was to form the church. But, the Holy Spirit creates the church. Therefore, the disciples had to wait.

It must have been hard for the disciples to wait. Surely they were ready to start doing something. But that is not what Jesus told them to do. He told them to wait for the Holy Spirit.

I want to draw two conclusions from Jesus’ instructions to his disciples. I think these two conclusions apply to us today as well. I think they apply to us, because we are a part of the complete People of God.

First, the Holy Spirit comes on the church in powerful ways when the church is OBEDIENT to God’s commands. The disciples were originally from many different walks of life. They had several different occupations. We know that several came from different home towns. What would have happened if the disciples had listened to Jesus’ instructions, watched him ascend into heaven, then gone back to their regular lives before they met Jesus? What if Peter, James, John and Andrew had gone back to a life of fishing? What if Matthew had resumed his work as a Roman tax collector? What if Philip had gone back to his fig tree?

I believe the Holy Spirit would have still been poured out on all God’s People. After all, this is the fulfillment of all Jesus taught his disciples as well as the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy found in the book of Joel. Yes, the Holy Spirit would have come. BUT, the church would have missed out on a strategic and rare opportunity to begin spreading the Gospel message of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. Because the church obeyed what Jesus instructed them to do, they had an opportunity to preach to Jewish men and women from all over the known world when they gathered in Jerusalem for a religious festival. Disobedience would have been a tragic mistake!

What kind of mistake might we make in Lufkin, Texas? If we are not obedient to the Lord’s commands, we too will miss out on God’s strategy to reach the world with the Gospel message.

God Has a Job for Us.

The second conclusion I can draw from Jesus’ command to the church is that God has given us a specific job to do, AND God has given us the power to accomplish his work! Yes, it would have been tragic for the disciples to return home and go back to their regular lives before they met Jesus. But, it would have also been a mistake for them to try to do God’s work before they received the Holy Spirit.

The job Jesus gave his disciples is the same job he gives us today. In Acts 1: 8, Jesus said: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Just like the disciples in Acts 1 and 2, Jesus has called us to be his witnesses. It is our job as Christian men and women in the Twenty-First Century to keep witnessing to the people of Lufkin, Texas and the United States of America, and the ends of the earth. But we cannot do this on our own power and abilities. We need God’s power. We need the Holy Spirit.

I read a story this week that is supposed to be a true story…A couple from a jungle in Africa arrived in Kingston, Ontario, and were given a fully equipped home to live in. They were handed the keys, but no one thought of explaining about the electrical appliances. During the month of July they went to bed when it got dark and rose with the sun. They collected wood and were able to cook in the fireplace. They found water came from the taps, and they did their washing in the kitchen, and dried their clothes on the line.

But by November they were cold, miserable and very frightened. Happily some friends came to visit, found the house in darkness and they flicked on the lights. They showed the couple how they could set the thermostat to heat the house and use the electric stove for cooking.

The next week they learned about the washer and dryer, the vacuum cleaner, how to answer the telephone and dial their friends. The television helped them find out about Canada, and how people survived the Canadian winter.

That story illustrates the huge change that took place on the Day of Pentecost. “Suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a mighty wind and it filled the entire house” (Acts 2:2). The couple from Africa discovered that they were living in a house in which they were free to enjoy light, and heat, and the many appliances needed for the Canadian winter. But the Pharisees and other religious leaders of the day had never told people all that God had for them. On the Day of Pentecost the early Christians began to experience the light and power available to them by the power of the Holy Spirit. —Robert Brow, “Electricity: A parable for Pentecost,” June 8, 2003, Model Theology Web Page, http://brow.on.ca/Sermons/Electric.htm.

Many of us have God’s Power at our disposal, but we do not “turn on the lights.” We live miserable and powerless lives, because we do not access the power God has given us. Our lives are just like the African couple in the story, if we do not pray.

What do you think would happen in our church and in Lufkin, Texas if we would just access God’s Power? What would happen if we prayed something like this, “Lord, send a revival. Begin in my life. Then, transform my church and the city of Lufkin?” That’s a dangerous prayer. It’s dangerous, because God wants you to pray it. AND, because God will answer that prayer.

Inside Out.

In the story of Pentecost, there are two things that changed. First, the most obvious change was the number of people who placed their faith in Jesus. In Acts 1, we read about Jesus’ speaking with 11 men. These 11 men chose Matthias to become one of them, so they grew from 11 to 12. Then, the 12 gathered together with 120 men and women—the complete People of God. When the Holy Spirit was poured out on the complete People of God, the church exploded. The 120 grew to be over 3000! That is a big change in a short amount of time.

But there is another change that might not be as obvious to you. The church changed their focus.

In Acts 2: 1, the church was gathered “in one place.” Luke does not tell us where this “one place” was, but there have been several suggestions made. Some people think they were gathered in a common area of the Jerusalem Temple. Others think the church was gathered in the “Upper Room”—the place where Jesus and his disciples had shared the Last Supper on the Day of Passover. This is where I think they were gathered, because it makes sense to me by comparing Acts 1 and 2 with John 20.

It doesn’t really matter where they were. What matters is that the complete People of God were gathered in a place where only Christians were present. They were worshipping God; they were praying together; and they were probably reviewing all the things Jesus had taught them before his ascension. Does this sound familiar? That is what we are doing this morning! We have come together in a place where only Christians are present. We are worshipping God, praying and reviewing our Bibles.

But these people did not stay inside the walls of the church! When the Holy Spirit was poured out, the people of Jerusalem heard a sound that reminded them of a roaring wind. It sounded like an East Texas tornado. When the people followed the sound, they found that it was coming from the church. THAT is the exact moment when the Christians got out of the church and started preaching the Gospel to lost people. The Holy Spirit turned the church “inside-out.”

If we are going to fulfill our God-given responsibility to spread the Gospel of Jesus and to be witnesses in Lufkin, Texas, then we need to get out of the church. We need the Holy Spirit to turn our church “inside-out!”

Conclusion: The Miracles of Pentecost.

When the Holy Spirit was poured out on the church that day, at least three miracles took place.

Most people focus on the disciples’ speaking in tongues. Some say the miracle of Pentecost is the gift of speaking in tongues. But, notice that 3000 people heard and understood the Gospel in their own native languages. This leads some people to say the miracle of Pentecost is a miracle of understanding, since the disciples were obviously not speaking in ecstatic utterances. They were speaking real languages which could be understood by non-Christians. I disagree with both of these interpretations!

In my interpretation, the first miracle of Pentecost is the preaching of the Gospel. The Gospel was preached in languages understood by the people. But the Gospel was also preached in a way people could respond and be saved!

The second miracle was the way the “complete people of God” stopped thinking about themselves. They were more concerned about the needs outside of the church than the needs inside the church.

The third miracle was the birth of the church. The “complete people of God” received the power and presence of God to do God’s work outside the walls of the church.